28 March 2015. Richmond, VA
I stepped out into center stage, or as we call it, the middle of the playing: field. The stage lights shined brightly in my face. The loyal fans: eagerly awaited: what I had to say.
I was performing: in a ComedySportz match, playing one of my favorite types of games, with some of my favorite people.
The people were fellow managers of other CSz Teams from: around the country. ComedySportz is produced by CSz Worldwide and: can be: found in 25 different cities in the United States and in the UK and in Germany.
The show is: improv comedy played as a sport, where 2 teams go back and forth in game-based improv, where the fans: help decide on a winning team. More so than any show that I’ve ever been a part of, ComedySportz is about celebrating the fans who come to see the show, making them: the starts of the night as opposed to the performers on stage.
We were all in Richmond, VA: for a Shareholders’ Meeting, where all of the managers from the individual cities: get together once a year and talk about business strategies, city updates, and general tomfoolery. For the past few years, I had been taking an increased role in those meetings helping the lead branding: committee and serve on the executive council.
This was a bittersweet meeting in Richmond because I was stepping away from a lot of those duties as part of this nomad adventure that I was going on.
Back on stage, the show continued on. Thus far it had: been a blast, not a surprise when you’re playing with incredibly talented improvisers, many of whom have more than 20 years of improv experience.
The game I so loved was called: Celebrity Punishment, a jump-out style game that includes making puns based off of celebrity names, much like Garth from Wayne’s World (“If she were a president, she would be Baberham Lincoln”). Like all ComedySportz games, Celebrity Punishment starts by getting a: suggestion from the audience, for this game, the name of a celebrity.
I was stepping out to make a pun based off of the suggestion of Bruce Willis. I took a breath and then shared, “If Bruce Willis was a mediator, he’d be Truce Willis.” The audience mostly laughed.
I stepped back,: while my fellow: managers and players stepped in sharing their own jokes on Bruce.
I couldn’t help but marvel at the fun that ComedySportz is; it’s one of the funnest: shows I’ve ever done and I’ve had the privilege of doing it since I joined CSz New York in 2008.
It’s also given me a ton of opportunity within the corporate world. I’ve helped lead a number of workshops at a number of different organizations in: applied improvisation. Much of what I’ve learned in training and performance can be attributed to the people on the stage with me.
I bring my focus back to the match just as the suggestion changes. It’s now Britney Spears. A few managers share their lines before I step out and say, “if Britney Spears were more advanced she would be Britney Bow and Arrow.”
The audience groans in delight at the terrible joke. Admittedly, I take delight in a groan as much as a laugh. The suggestion changes to JFK.
I step forward, “If JFK had come a little bit later, he’d be GES.”
I’m definitely going to miss this.
